Carbon moving and controlling device



y 1939. s. NICKELSBURG 2,165,183

CARBON MOVING AND CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed March 12, 1938 Z5 41 39 37 @w 7 40' l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 4, 1939 PATENT OFFICE CARBON MOVING AND CONTROLLING DEVICE Sidney Nickelsburg, New York, N. Y.,

Morelite Company, Inc., New York,

assignor to Application March 12, 1938, Serial No. 195,566

12 Claims.

This invention relates to carbon feeding mechanlsms and relates more particularly to means for manually feeding the carbons during the operation of the lamp in which said carbons are used.

In carbon lamps for the projection of light upon a screen, the carbons are arranged to be fed towards each other at a rate commensurate with the consumption of each. For this purpose an electric motor is employed for driving the gearing, shafting and screws which feed the carbons. But, since the rate of consumption of different types of carbon electrodes vary considerably, the rate of feed cannot be definitely predetermined. In addition, line voltage variations may cause the motor to operate at varying speeds and thus disturb any predetermined rate of feed. In order to correct the above, the mechanism is provided with means for intermittently interrupting the feed of the electrodes, said means being manually controllable by the operator so he may obtain a rate of feed commensurate with the rapidity of consumption of said electrodes.

However, there are many other causes which act 0 to disturb the relation above set forth. Impurities in the electrodes may cause the arc to be either unduly shortened or lengthened, or a draft in the lamp house may effect a similar condition. Inasmuch as these faulty conditions are quite variable, it is desirable to provide improved, simple and fool-proof manually controlled means for quickly restoring 'the electrodes to their proper relation to obtain the maximum efficiency of the arc.

Prior attempts to provide such a control were faulty in that friction or clutch means were necessary to uncouple the motor from the feed mechanism in order to accomplish the manual readjustment of the electrodes. The motor torque was increased when recoupled with the feed mechanism after the manual correction was effected and such correction necessarily was relatively slow and required expert attention. Further, these manual controls were usually used only for the negative electrode whereas the instant invention contemplates control of both electrodes.

For the above reason, it is desirable to provide simple and efficient means for manually moving the carbons towards or away from each other to adjust their relative position to obtain a more efficient arc, and to properly position the arc in relation to the mirror or reflector commonly used in said lamps. More particularly the invention contemplates the provision of means for effecting these manual adjustments during the automatic feed of the carbon.

The contemplated manual feed means also pro vide for quickly striking or extinguishing the are when operation of the lamp is started or stopped.

The invention also contemplates the provision of means for manually moving the carbon at a faster rate of speed than the rate of the automatic feed; of effecting the manual feed without influencing or interfering with the speed of the motor which controls the automatic feed and without the aid of springs, clutches or friction drives; of providing means which are simple, economical and readily replaceable for effecting a manual carbon feed; and for generally rendering the lamp more efficient.

With the foregoing and other contemplated features, advantages, and objects in view, the invention may be realized in the embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in detail in the following specification.

In the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the base of a which the invention is incorporated.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view as taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1 drawn to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a similar View showing a modified form of construction.

Referring 'now to the drawing in greater detail, the lamp is formed witha base upon which is mounted a negative carbon feeding unit ii, a

. positive carbon feeding unit 12, and an electric motor 13 for automatically operating said units.

lamp in As shown, the motor is provided with reduction gearing I4 to rotate the pinion 15 at a relatively low rate of speed. This pinion is meshed with a gear IS on the shaft l1 having a worm 18. Another gear l 9 is meshed with the gear l6 and this gear is carried by a shaft having a worm 2|.

The Worm l8 is geared to a worm wheel 22 on the feed screw 23 of the carbon feeding unit II, and similarly, the worm 2| is geared to a worm 'wheel 24 on the feed screw 25 of the carbon feeding unit 12.

Since the gears l6 and I9 rotate in opposite directions and since the driving connections from each of these gears to the respective feed screws are similar, these screws rotate in opposite directions for reasons later apparent.

The feed screw 23 is mounted between bearing brackets 26 and 21, and between said brackets are also mounted a manual feed screw 28 and slide bars 29 for the negative carbon holder slide 30.

tation upon a stud 33 carried by the slide 30.

Since in operation, the feed screw 23 is ro-' tated by the motor l3, and the screw 28 is stationary, the worm wheel 3| is caused to walk along said screw 28 by the rotation imparted by the feed screw 23. Hence, the slide 30 is caused to traverse along the slide bars towards the right as seen in Fig. 1.

In a somewhat similar manner, the feed screw 25 is mounted between brackets 34 and 35 and between said brackets are also mounted a manual feed screw 36 and slide bars 37 for the positive carbon holder slide 38. The slide 38 mounts a worm wheel 39 in mesh with the feed screw 25 and fixed with said worm wheel there is provided a smaller worm wheel 40 having engagement with the manual feed screw 36. Both of said worm wheels are mounted for rotation upon a stud 4! carried by the slide 38.

The operation of the above is similar to that described for the unit H, the worm wheel 46 walking along the screw 36 upon rotation of the worm wheel 39 by the motor-driven screw 25 to cause traverse of the slide 38 which carries the positive carbon P.

The ratio of movement of the slides 30 and 38 may be determined by the pitch on the screws 23 and 25 or by the intermediate gearing between said screws and the motor drive.

From the above it is apparent that the carbons N and P may be fed towards each other at a desired rate of feed, but as previously stated, since impurities in the carbons as Well as other causes may cause them to burn faster or slower or irregularly at times, manual means are provided to readjust the carbons to obtain a proper are properly positioned.

For this purpose the unit H is provided with such manual feed means which comprises a knob 42 on a shaft 43, journaled in a bracket 44, and carrying a bevel gear 45 in mesh with a bevel pinion 46 on an extension of the manual feed screw 28. In a simpler manner, the unit l2 may be similarly provided with manual feed means comprising a knob 41 on an extension of the manual feed screw 36, or feed screw 36 may carry a beveled gear in mesh with a similar beveled gear (not shown) mounted on a shaft journaled at right angles or other angle to feed screw 36 for manipulation of said feed screw 36 from the side of the housing l0, similar to the arrangement for manipulating feed screw 28 of unit I 1.

Thus, when the carbons fall out of adjustment, either or both of the knobs 42 and 41 may be manipulated to correct said fault. When operation of the lamp is to be instituted, the arc may be struck by said manipulation of said knobs. Of if desired to break the arc to extinguish the light, either or both knobs manipulated. The compounding of the gears 3940 in the unit I2 provides for a manual feed more rapid than the automatic feed since a small circumferential rotation of the worm gear 46 will cause greater-similar movement of the gear 33 and thus of the slide 38. The ratio between the bevel pinion 46 and the bevel gear 45 also provides for a manual feed more rapid than the automatic feed in the unit ll.

From the above it may be seen that two pre- 42 and 41 may be ferred means have been provided to afford manual adjustment of either or both of the electrodes during their period of automatic feed by the motor and at a speed greater than said automatic feed.

The manual feed screw 36 may be replaced by a rack 36 as shown in Fig. 3. Thus endwise movement of said rack may serve to manually move the carbon instead of the rotational manual movement of the screw 36.

In the drawing (Fig. 1) there is shown in diagrammatic form means for providing a variable step-by-step or interrupted rotation of the worms i8 and 2i in order to compensate for the varying consumption rates of diiferent electrodes. These means are preferably located at 50 and 5| being controllable through the medium of the respective shafts 52 and 53.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a simple device has been provided for the purposes intended. It is also apparent that skilled persons may practice the invention in various ways other than those disclosed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. The

prior art, therefore, rather than the in'stant disclosure should form the basis of interpretation of the scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A carbon feeding device comprising a powerdriven feed screw, a hand-driven feed screw, a carbon holder, means for guiding the movement of said carbon holder, and gear means carried by said holder and having peripheral operative engagement with both the feed screws whereby movement of the power-driven feed screw causes said gearing to traverse the manually movable screw to move said carbon holder along its guide means, and whereby movement of the manually movable screw causes said gearing to traverse the power-driven feed screw to move said carbon holder along its guide means.

2. A carbon feeding device comprising a power rotated feed screw, a rotational member adapted for manual operation, a carbon holder, means for guiding the movement of said carbon holder,

and gear means carried by said holder, said gear means comprising a gear in mesh with said feed screw, and a second smaller gear united with the first gear and meshing with said manually rotatable member, whereby rotation of the feed screw causes said gearing to rotate to traverse the smaller gear along the manually rotational member to move said carbon holder along its guide means, and whereby rotation of said manually rotational member causes said gear means to rotate to traverse the larger gear along the feed screw to move said carbon holder along its guide means during rotation of said feed screw.

3. Ina carbon feeding device having a carbon holder, means for moving said carbon holder said means comprising an auxiliary feed member, a

power-driven feed screw, and gearing carried by ripherally meshing with said manually movable member and with said automatic feed means.

member and with said feed screw, t

a carbon at a uniform rate,

5. In a carbon feeding device having a carbon holder, means for moving said carbon holder said means comprising an auxiliary feed member, a power-driven feed screw arranged in parallel to said member, but spaced apart therefrom and substantially coextensive therewith and compound gearing carried by said carbon holder and having operative engagement with said member and with said feed screw, said member being manually movable to cause auxiliary rotation of said gearing to move said carbon holder at a rate in variance with the uniform rate imparted bythe feed screw.

6. In a carbon feeding device having a carbon holder a gear rotatably carried by said carbon holder, and means for automatically feeding the carbon holder at a uniform rate; means for causing auxiliary feed of said carbon holder during said automatic feed comprising a manually movable member having direct and positive operative connection with the teeth of the gear on the carbon holder.

7. A carbon feeding device comprising a carbon holder, a power-driven screw for moving said carbon holder at a uniform rate, and an auxiliary feed member, gearing carried by the carbon holder and in mesh with both the powerdriven screw and the normally stationary memher, said member being unrestrainedly manually movable to cause auxiliary movement of said carbon holder, regardless of whether the motordriven screw is rotating or not.

8. A carbon feeding device comprising a car'- bon holder, a power-driven screw for moving said carbon holder at a uniform rate, an auxiliary feed member, a gear carried by the carbon holder and in mesh with both the power-driven screw and the auxiliary feed member, said member being unrestrainedly manually movable through a change speed gearing unit to cause auxiliary movement of said carbon holder, regardless of whether the motor-driven screw is rotating or not.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,165,185.

9. A carbon feeding device comprising a car bon holder, a power-driven screw for moving said carbon holder at a uniform rate, an auxiliary feed member arranged in parallel to said power-driven screw but spaced apart therefrom and substantially co-extensive therewith, and

gearing carried by said carbon holder, said gearing being in mesh with both the auxiliary feed member and with the power-driven screw, said member being manually movable to cause direct and positive auxiliary rotation of said gearing to move the carbon holder at a rate in variance with the uniform rate imparted by the powerdriven screw.

10. A carbon feeding device comprising a carbon holder, a power-driven screw for moving said carbon holder at a uniform rate, a manually operable auxiliary feed screw arranged in parallel to said power-driven screw but spaced apart therefrom and substantially coextensive therewith, and a gear carried by said carbon holder and in mesh with both of the screws whereby when either screw is rotated the gear will be caused to walk along the other screw without interference therefrom.

11. In an arc lamp adapted to employ a pair of electrodes, a holder for each electrode and a feeding mechanism for each holder, said feeding mechanism comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel feed screws and a gear between the feed screws, said gear having simultaneous meshing engagement with both said feed screws, said gear being freely pivoted to the electrode holder.

12. In an arc lamp adapted to employ a pair of electrodes, a movable holder for each electrode and a feeding mechanism for each holder, said feeding mechanism comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel feeding members and a gearing unit between the feeding members, said unit having simultaneous peripheral engagement with both said feeding members, said gearingunit being freely pivoted to the electrode holder.

SIDNEY NICKELSBURG.

SIDNEY NICKELSBURG ,It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, first column, line 28, claim 7, for the words "normally stationary" read --auxand that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

igned and sealed this 30th day ofJul'y, A. n. 19L 0.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

